


realism in cave stories (meta)

by HermitLibrary_Archivist



Category: Blake's 7
Genre: Gen, Meta, Trapped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-28
Updated: 2008-05-28
Packaged: 2018-04-19 09:28:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4741307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HermitLibrary_Archivist/pseuds/HermitLibrary_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>By Helen Atkins</p>
            </blockquote>





	realism in cave stories (meta)

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Judith and Aralias, the archivists: This story was originally archived at [Hermit.org Blake's 7 Library](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Hermit_Library), which was closed due to maintenance costs and lack of time. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2015. We posted announcements about the move and emailed authors as we imported, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact us using the e-mail address on [Hermit.org Blake's 7 Library collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hermitlibrary/profile). 
> 
> This work has been backdated to 26th of May 2008, which is the last date the Hermit.org archive was updated, not the date this fic was written. In some cases, fics can be dated more precisely by searching for the zine they were originally published in on [Fanlore](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Main_Page).

Re cave stories, I am an experienced caver, and I can assure you that creepy-crawlies only live near the entry points of deep caves. Creepy- crawlies need to eat too, and there usually isn't much food further in (no sunlight = no plants = no things that eat plants = no higher level predators). If you want to introduce some added tension in a cave story, perhaps you could set the story in a multi-level cave system. It is possible to get trapped underground by water if it rains unexpectedly while you are underground, so you don't know it's happening. Getting out may require going to a low point or crossing an underground river in order to get to an exit. I know of a number of cavers who have been drowned trying to cross an underground river in flood. The characters could thus be forced to retreat to a higher part of the cave, and have to decide whether to wait, hoping that the water level will fall, or to chance being swept away, etc. Lots of opportunities for angst, heroics, and character death as well as heart to heart chats :)

Other than that, deep caves are usually at around the average annual temperature (say 9 degrees Celcius), and frequently, though not invariably, wet and muddy. The water always feels icy, and is certainly cold enough to make your legs go numb if you stay in it long enough without protective gear. Not my preferred venue for a romantic tryst...


End file.
